Alisa Liu, 13, becomes the youngest woman's figure skating champion in history

[Liberty Belle]

6. Who says she's not in school? My daughter was figure skater who made it to junior nationals at 12.

Last edited Mon Jan 28, 2019, 01:05 AM - Edit history (1)

She was in 8th grade. Later in high school, when it appeared she might have a shot at going to senior nationals or beyond, she was in school full-time, except I home schooled her for one subject so that she could get enough ice time. She was in school for the other 5 subjects.

She was tiny too but not because her growth was stunted. My mother and I are both just 5 ft tall. She was 4 ft. 8 when she when to junior nationals and is still just 4 ft. 11 inches today. Some kids made fun of her for being short. But in skating that's an asset -- and all the other girls were small, too, so she learned the "good things come in small packages" rule. When she made it to junior nationals she was honored by her school and everyone applauded her. It was great for building up her self esteem. I was bullied a lot as a kid for being tiny, so I was happy to find something where that was admired, not ridiculed.

She gave up skating around 16 or 17, but it taught her discipline that HELPED her in school. When she was younger she tended to be flighty and hyperactive. With skating before school, she was able to finally sit still in school the rest of the day. Also skaters are smart--try memorizing all those complex steps with footworks, jumps, spins and artistry. There are no dummies in the sport.

It taught her to perservere and work hard. She was not a natural "A" student but became one (unlike our son, a genius for whom perfect grades came easy). She graduated with honors and worked her way through college teaching SAT prep classes and driving a tour bus at the zoo, as she'd also developed an outgoing personality and self confidence. She got her biology degree at UC and later a masters and is now a physician assistant pulling down a six-figure salary and is engaged to be married.

So how do this hurt her in life, school, or career? Quite the opposite.

The main trouble with the very young senior lady champions is the risk of repetitive stress injuries, which is why the International Skating organization rightly a few years ago limited the Olympic team to people 15 and a half and up -- there were too many kids being pushed too hard too early and getting injuries. Tara Lipinski at 15 will forever be the youngest US women's Olympic champion. Some countries though, including the U.S., still have lower or no age limits for non-international competitions.

Our daughter's coaches were very careful not to do have her do too many jumps in practice especially if she didn't have it down, but we saw some who pushed kids too hard and had a lot of injured skaters. Our daughter never had a single injury on ice -- and due to her hyperactive nature, the only broken bone came when she caught pneumonia and was off ice a couple of weeks with wheezing but didn't want to stay still. She went running through the house and fell down.

Several kids she skated with actually did go on to the Olympics. One made history as the first to land a difficult jump. Two became national champions in other countries. Some continued in skating careers as a professional or coach, others went on to prestigious universities.

My daughter's accomplishments were all the more amazing given that she had a heart problem as a child, that thankfully was cured with an experimental medical procedure at age 5. We were so grateful she was able to live life to the fullest. So don't judge this girl or her family -- it may be the best thing in the world for her. I hope so.